As we travel through the first week of Advent the days grow gradually shorter, the darkness increases. Darkness brings with it a sense of foreboding but it also makes us aware of the importance and value of light. We rejoice when the sun does appear and lift our spirits noticeably. It is amidst this growing darkness that we light our second Advent candle. The days may become shorter but our Advent wreath is growing brighter. Our Advent readings tells us that we are drawing closer to the great feast of light, Christmas. The feast that declares that Jesus came to us as “the light of the world”. And that whoever follows Jesus will never walk in darkness but will carry within them the light of life’.
In Pagan days in order to help the sun defeat the encroaching darkness they would light a huge log in early December and keep it alight for days in opposition to the darkness. The chocolate ones we have today would have been of no use!!
Isaiah reassures us that we will never walk in the dark when he says “For God will lead Israel with joy in the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.”
In Advent we look forward to the dawning of that day when the light of God’s glory will shine anew among us dispelling all forms of darkness. Advent is a season of hope which is such an important Christian virtue. Hope is much more than optimism. We can be optimistic about all kinds of things, but the object of our hope is always God in the person of Jesus. Hope is rooted in faith. We are hopeful because we believe in a God who can bring life out of death, light out of darkness. It is above all in the dark times that we experience today that we need hope.
We can be tempted in dark times to look at everything and everyone with jaundiced eyes. St Paul’s words to the Philippians encourages us to look at life, and, especially, at people with eyes of hope. To look at people with hopeful eyes is to be alert to all that is good in their lives and to celebrate that goodness. It encourages us to recognise the good in ourselves and in others, what they have done rather than what they have failed to do. Paul was not only in tune with what was good in people’s lives, but he was also aware of what people could become with God’s help. We need to look at ourselves and at others with those kinds of hopeful eyes. God’s good work has only begun in us. We are a work in progress, and, in spite of our failings, God will keep on working to bring the good work he has been doing in ourselves and in others to completion. God asks us to co-operate with his ongoing work in our lives. Yet, it is God’s work and because it is God’s work, we can be hopeful that it will be brought to completion, and one day we will all be complete, and we will reach what Paul calls ‘the perfect goodness which Jesus Christ produces in us’.
The gospel of a voice crying in the wilderness, the voice of John the Baptist. His voice is a voice of hope, announcing the coming of the Lord through the wilderness and declaring that we will see his salvation. The Lord is always present in our times of Advent prayer working to bring light out of darkness and life out of death. Because of that good news, we are all called to be voices of hope in in a world that so desperately needs it.
A husband and wife are in bed when there is a knock at the door. The husband rolls over and looks at his clock - it's 3:30 a.m. He drags himself out of bed and goes downstairs. When he opens the door, he finds a drunk slumped there. "Hi ya," slurs the stranger. "Can you give me a push?" "Get lost," says the man. "It's half-past three." He slams the door and goes back up to bed. He tells his wife about the drunk. She shakes her head and says, "Dave, that wasn't very nice of you. Remember that night we broke down in the pouring rain and you had to knock on that man's door? What would've happened if he'd told us to get lost?" Shamefaced, Dave admits she has a point. So, he gets up again and gets fully dressed, puts on his shoes and picks up all his tools then goes to his own car and takes out some cables. Finally having all he needs to assist any problem the man may have, he opens the door and calls out, "Hey, do you still want a push?" A voice answers, "Yes, please." "Where are you?" calls the man. "I'm over here..." replies the stranger. "...sitting on your garden swing.”
by Fr Thomas O'Brien a.a
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